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Crooked Little Vein
I'll admit - I'm one of Mr. Ellis's devoted interwebs disciples. But I'm also a reader who's been reading for a very long time (relatively speaking.) I know a piece of shit when I read it. The name on the cover usually dosen't sway my opinion on how well a book is written.
Crooked Little Vein was lauded as the OMG Bestest Thing to be Shat out by Ellis EVAR.
I take exception to that - I'm still pretty firm in that Transmetropolitan was some of his strongest writing. However, writing in the comic format and writing for a novel are two different things.
All things aside, it was a delicious little book. The style is very Ellis. There aren't too many writers out that that can have me going back to reread a paragraph because I simply can't believe what I have just read, and this book does it.
It is gory, graphic, and completely unsuitable for human consumption. Sadly, the man does his research, and many of the situations are just a breath away from truth. Get the paperback and read the afterward stuff. He admits as such.
He's also got a number of great looking recipes back there. I'm not shitting you.
It's not a book I should have finished and then gone to bed, with it firmly lodged in my forebrain. Truly screwed up dreams, I tell you.
After a while, the outrageous gets commonplace, and you find yourself thinking, "well, she does make a good case for beastiality"... and then "What the FUCK am I thinking!?" but I think that's mostly the point - how far to we push the line before the underground is mainstream?
While "visually" almost painful to read, (some things should NOT reside in my mind's eye, but they're stuck there now,) I think I'd like to go back and reread from a higher level - not get caught up in the details, but read it from a social commentary perspective...
A solid work. One I won't recommend - you can take responsibility for reading it. I won't have any of you coming back to me, weeping bloody tears and bemoaning "Why?! Why did you tell me to read that... that... Arrrrgh!"
That's firmly on your shoulders.
- K.
Crooked Little Vein was lauded as the OMG Bestest Thing to be Shat out by Ellis EVAR.
I take exception to that - I'm still pretty firm in that Transmetropolitan was some of his strongest writing. However, writing in the comic format and writing for a novel are two different things.
All things aside, it was a delicious little book. The style is very Ellis. There aren't too many writers out that that can have me going back to reread a paragraph because I simply can't believe what I have just read, and this book does it.
It is gory, graphic, and completely unsuitable for human consumption. Sadly, the man does his research, and many of the situations are just a breath away from truth. Get the paperback and read the afterward stuff. He admits as such.
He's also got a number of great looking recipes back there. I'm not shitting you.
It's not a book I should have finished and then gone to bed, with it firmly lodged in my forebrain. Truly screwed up dreams, I tell you.
After a while, the outrageous gets commonplace, and you find yourself thinking, "well, she does make a good case for beastiality"... and then "What the FUCK am I thinking!?" but I think that's mostly the point - how far to we push the line before the underground is mainstream?
While "visually" almost painful to read, (some things should NOT reside in my mind's eye, but they're stuck there now,) I think I'd like to go back and reread from a higher level - not get caught up in the details, but read it from a social commentary perspective...
A solid work. One I won't recommend - you can take responsibility for reading it. I won't have any of you coming back to me, weeping bloody tears and bemoaning "Why?! Why did you tell me to read that... that... Arrrrgh!"
That's firmly on your shoulders.
- K.
no subject
It's not his best work by far, but I enjoyed it and I laughed like a mad man the entire time I read it.
Transmet, far better. Authority, far better. Crooked Little Vein is a gross out fest, done with a private detective moron character. I'm sure I'll read it at least three more times.
But I'm weird like that.
Falconer. End of story.
Though my brain convulses at the thought.
Agreed - his other writing was better. This was just - "How far can I push it until I've gone too far?" Apparently he didn't push far enough... but it was damn entertaining.
- K.
no subject
The reader's pretty good, which gives the book some nice impact. I'm about halfway through it now, and enjoying it a lot.
Thanks for pointing it out!
no subject
Glad to turn you on to it.
- K.